'The House of Tomorrow' Is A Charming Coming-Of-Age Tale About A Futurist And A Punk [Review]

Based on Peter Bognanni’s novel, “The House of Tomorrow,” starring Alex Wolff, Asa Butterfield, and Nick Offerman, follows brilliant but sheltered 16-year-old Sebastian (Butterfield) as he attempts to liberate the renegade dwelling within himself under the tutelage of the angst-driven Jared (Wolff). While dissimilar in personality, the two leads are perfectly cast as outliers to society. As their performances infuse unexpected charisma into a rather simple coming-of-age storyline, “The House of Tomorrow” amuses and keeps viewers engaged despite its formulaic presentation.

Although not narratively groundbreaking, Peter Livolsi’s directorial debut is a genuinely endearing and surprising movie. In defiance of its unoriginal presentation, this coming-of-age film possesses a potent emotional drive reliant on the cliché, yet overwhelmingly positive, words of R. Buckminster Fuller: “never forget that you are one of a kind.” With Fuller’s catalog of inspirational musings acting as the proverbial mood board behind “The House of Tomorrow,” tetrahedrals, geodesic dome structures, beer, and Black Flag somehow coexist in perfect, touching harmony. All this to say, this spry debut wastes no time in wrenching its way into viewers’ hearts even with its simplistic pitfalls.

On that note, Livolsi does an affecting job of weaving in footage of Fuller’s speeches and musings over mathematical theories, environmental endeavors and most importantly, the potential of humanity. With Fuller’s futuristic ideology helping to serve as a beacon of truth for Sebastian, he decides to finally carve out an image for himself and concedes to assimilation into “normal” living. Although convenient, the inclusion of footage and audio of Fuller’s philosophical reflections, which are grounded in positivity and futurism, prove profoundly necessary in the way they echo the sentiments of the film’s two main characters.

Butterfield, as the neurotic and fittingly positive Sebastian, once again proves why he is one of the most promising talents in Hollywood. Foreign, naive, yet inviting, in the way he communicates with the rest of the cast, Sebastian’s baptism by fire into normal society is both humorous and charming. As we witness Sebastian’s evolution from sheltered, wiry klutz to “irresponsible” punk rock poser, his transformation serves as the perfect foil to that of Jared’s.

Dismissive on the outside and extremely self-aware, Jared is your typical angsty teen, whose prescribed apathy is realized in complete believability thanks to Wolff’s phenomenally dedicated acting ability. Just when the viewer is about to dismiss Jared of the slightest possibility of him being a semi-decent human being, his cynical outlook on life makes complete sense once his dire health conditions are brought front and center.

This is where the two seemingly incompatible characters in Sebastian and Jared form an unlikely bond—they both find themselves surviving on the fringes of society, restrained and relegated to what others deem safest, but not what makes them happiest.

Although Jared takes a while to warm up to Sebastian, the two soon realize each other’s shared desire to escape their disadvantaged situations. This manifests into a brotherly bond—one that is both unshakable and held taut by their love of punk rock. All this to say, there isn’t a single note out of place between Butterfield and Wolf’s textured, onscreen chemistry.

All things considered, “The House of Tomorrow” is a charmer that will incite a smile from ear-to-ear with each and every scene brimming with hope in the face of downtrodden situations and a world that tells you no. Fuller echoes this sentiment best: “The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it’s really a different kind of life.” [B+]